Chapter 18, The Fraudulent Donations Scandal

Nations always prioritize interests in their dealings with each other. As Franz was scheming against the Russians, the Tsarist Government was likewise scheming against Austria.

This kind of planning was unrelated to alliances and was conducted within the confines of established rules. As long as interests outweighed contradictions, the relationship between the allies remained reliable.

After the establishment of the Russian-Austrian Alliance, the Tsarist Government eased its repression of Prussia.

Clearly, after the Austrian Government revealed its ambitions for the South German Region, the Tsarist Government worried that Austria might unify the entire Germany Region, threatening their hegemony in Europe, and prepared to allow the Prussians to counterbalance Austria.

The most direct expression of this was that Russia's diplomatic pressure on the Kingdom of Prussia was no longer as forceful as before.